Wartime Travel

Americans were asked to conserve all kinds of resources during the war in order to help the war effort, including space on trains and busses needed to transport soldiers and war workers.

The nation’s transportation system was especially overloaded late in the war, so the Office of Defense Transportation launched a campaign to convince Americans to vacation at home. They urged communities to organize activities such as movies, picnics, sports events, and parades to keep people entertained at home. Money saved from postponing vacations, Americans were told, could be invested in war bonds and used for a “real vacation” after the war was won.